Pictured (L-R): BBR’s A&R/Artist Development Tina Crawford, Magic Mustang’s Creative Director Juli Newton-Griffith, BBR CEO/President Benny Brown and Kristy Lee Cook.
Broken Bow Signs Kristy Lee Cook
Broken Bow Records announced the signing of Kristy Lee Cook to a recording and publishing deal on Broken Bow Music and Magic Mustang Music.
Singer-songwriter Cook, who appeared on the seventh season of American Idol, is also known for her work as a host for The Outdoor Channel’s Outdoor’s 10 Best and Versus’ Goin’ Country.
“Kristy Lee Cook has a natural talent and beauty that is very captivating,” says Benny Brown, Broken Bow Records’ CEO/President. “She has so much going on and is so passionate about her music, we are thrilled to sign her to our Broken Bow roster.”
“Jason Aldean is my favorite country artist,” enthuses Cook. “To be on the same label as Jason is truly a dream come true! I feel like everything has fallen into place and I am now going to get a real shot at my music career. I am so thankful and excited about my future.”
Odie Blackmon
Odie Blackmon Gives Back in ASCAP’s America SCORES Program
Grammy-nominated songwriter Odie Blackmon has enrolled in ASCAP’s Songwriter Residency at America SCORES, a national songwriting mentorship program. This program gives ASCAP writers and composers the opportunity to give back to their communities through engaging and inspiring inner-city children through songwriting and recording.
Through the program, ASCAP members collaborate with children over three sessions, co-writing a song and recording it in a professional studio. Blackmon will lead songwriting classes with kids in the St. Louis area and will record the songs at Shock City Studios. The finished song will be included on ASCAP’s compilation CD, which will be distributed to each of the schools involved in the program and to music industry decision makers.
Blackmon’s number one hits include George Strait’s “She’ll Leave You With a Smile,” Lee Ann Womack’s “I May Hate Myself In The Morning,” and Gary Allan’s “Nothing On But The Radio.” He has been honored with three ASCAP song awards, a Nashville Songwriter Association International Award, and Billboard Magazine distinguished him as #1 Hot Country Songwriter in 2005. Blackmon is a Lecturer of Music at Vanderbilt University.
“I’m very thankful to get this chance to share my passion for music with the kids in St. Louis,” Blackmon says. “I hope to plant seeds there that will grow long after I am gone.”
Cracker Barrel Offers Smokey Robinson Collection
/by Sarah SkatesThe CD features six live versions of classics, including “Going to a Go-Go,” “I Second That Emotion,” “The Tracks of My Tears,” and “The Tears of a Clown,” recorded in 2010 during various performances. The other six tracks are from his 2009 CD, Time Flies When You’re Having Fun, including “Time Flies,” “Don’t Know Why,” and “Girlfriend.”
Catch Robinson on:
November 2: Mo’Nique Show – BET
November 3: The Today Show – NBC
November 3: What’s The Buzz – ABC.com
November 4: Fox Business – Fox Business Channel
November 4: Strategy Room – foxnews.com
November 5: Wendy Williams Show – Syndicated & BET
November 11: Better TV – Syndicated
Smokey Robinson has logged 37 Top 40 hits in his career and has received a number of significant awards, including a Grammy® Lifetime Achievement Award, a Grammy® for “Best R&B Performance, Male,” and the Soul Train Music Award for Career Achievement. He has been inducted into the Songwriter Hall of Fame, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and has also received the prestigious Rhythm & Soul Heritage Award from ASCAP.
Unveiling of Rascal Flatts Surgery Center at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital
/by contributorA sign that bears the group’s name was unveiled, which marks the entrance to the “Rascal Flatts Surgery Center” on the third floor of Children’s Hospital. (L-R): Jay DeMarcus, Joe Don Rooney, Gary LeVox, Dr. John W. Brock III, surgeon in chief of Children’s Hospital, and CEO Luke Gregory. Photo: Joel Dennis
The Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt honored Rascal Flatts in the naming of its Pediatric Surgery Center. The band has donated more than $3 million to Children’s Hospital.
The Rascal Flatts Surgery Center features a new specialized radiology suite, offering patients expanded services, and will house all of Children’s Hospital’s existing and new surgical programs. More than 12,700 general and specialized pediatric surgeries are performed each year at the hospital.
Rascal Flatts’ Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney were honored during a ceremony at Children’s Hospital, commemorating the band’s sixth consecutive year in visiting the hospital. The superstar group also visited children room-to-room to deliver Halloween treats and hosted a Halloween party for patients and their families, including an intimate live performance. Additionally, a sign that bears the group’s name was unveiled, marking the entrance to the Rascal Flatts Surgery Center on the third floor of Children’s Hospital.
Front Row: Gracie Davis (patient); Jonathan Gitlin, M.D., James C. Overall Professor and chair of the Department of Pediatrics; Jacy Hinds (patient). Back Row: Big Machine's Scott Borchetta; Manager Doug Nichols; Gary LeVox; Jay DeMarcus; Jeff Balser, M.D., Ph.D., Vanderbilt University’s Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs and Dean of the School of Medicine; Joe Don Rooney; John W. Brock III, M.D., surgeon in chief of the Children’s Hospital; and Trey Turner.
The Highway Girl Does “Ring of Fire”
/by contributorSamantha Murphy
Indie artist and Internet pioneer Samantha Murphy, also known as The Highway Girl, partnered with licensing and royalty service RightsFlow to raise awareness for Limelight, a service that assists artists with clearance for cover songs for release.
Murphy wrote, produced and is featured in the informational video “Ring of Fire,” which explains how the Limelight service assists artists in securing the necessary mechanical licenses and pay royalties to songwriters and publishers.
“I wanted to record a version of this Johnny Cash song for years,” Murphy explains. “Limelight provided the solution for my licensing needs and allowed me to finally record this amazing song.”
CMT will add Murphy’s music video for “Ring of Fire” to their Wide Open Country program this week. Murphy produced the song, from her forthcoming album Some Assembly Required, with multi-Grammy-winning producer Ray Kennedy (Lucinda Williams, Sheryl Crow, Steve Earle).
“Samantha is the rare combination of accomplished musician, technology advocate and champion for artists and songwriters. She has produced not only a compelling video that highlights Limelight’s ease-of-use, but has also delivered a memorable version of Johnny Cash’s classic “Ring of Fire.” We are extremely grateful for her talents, passion and vision for this incredible song,” said Michael Kauffman, SVP of Sales & Marketing at Rightsflow. The video premiered on both the Limelight and Highway Girl websites and is available through various channels and social networks in order to create awareness and education within the musician community.
Vezner Has An App
/by adminGrammy winning songwriter Jon Vezner has aptitiude. His new music video, “I’ve Got An App For That” co-written with Si Kahn highlights what may be becoming an addiction for millions of people worldwide.
The music video, created by filmmaker Louise Woehrie of Whirlygig Productions is inspired by Vezner’s wry humor and deadpan persona. Using a traveling minstrel theme, Woehrie joined forces with co-director/editor Chip Johnson and graphic designer Casey Burres to bring the tale to life as Vezner dons his troubador hat to comment and commiserate with fellow app addicts about life on the cutting tech trail.
Best Lawyers Recognizes Horsnell and Sullivan
/by adminChristian Horsnell
Best Lawyers has named Christian Horsnell of Milom Joyce Horsnell Crow PLC in the area of Intellectual Property Law; and Robert Sullivan of Loeb & Loeb in the area of Entertainment Law as Lawyers of the Year from the Nashville entertainment community. Only a single lawyer in each specialty in each community is honored annually. Both attorneys are also listed in the current edition of MusicRow’s directory, InCharge.
Robert Sullivan
According to the company, “Best Lawyers compiles its lists of outstanding attorneys by conducting exhaustive peer-review surveys in which thousands of leading lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers. The current, 17th edition of The Best Lawyers in America (2011) is based on more than 3.1 million detailed evaluations of lawyers by other lawyers.
“The lawyers being honored as ‘Lawyers of the Year’ have received particularly high ratings in our surveys by earning a high level of respect among their peers for their abilities, professionalism, and integrity.”
Initial MerleFest Lineup Announced
/by contributorMerlefest will feature 90 artists on 14 stages including Lyle Lovett, the Del McCoury Band, Tim O’Brien, the Alison Brown Quartet, Corb Lund, the Sam Bush Band, Cadillac Sky, the Doobie Brothers and Jim Lauderdale.
“The MerleFest 2011 lineup offers an incredibly exciting, diverse and talented group of musicians, which is always our mission as a festival,” comments Festival Director Ted Hagaman. “Another goal this year is to give our festival attendees up-to-the-minute information about lineup additions and other aspects of MerleFest. As new artists are added, we will share that information immediately through our social media venues. So, staying in touch with us via our website (www.merlefest.org), Facebook and Twitter is crucial!”
On November 4th at 8:00 p.m. EST, public radio station WNCW will air a special devoted to the artists of MerleFest 2011. Fans from around the globe can listen live at www.wncw.org.
The MerleFest box office will open for 2011 ticket sales on Tuesday, November 9, at 2:00 p.m. EST. Ticket purchases can be made on the web at www.merlefest.org or by calling 1-800-343-7857. An early bird ticket discount is available through March 13, 2011.
MerleFest was founded in 1988 in memory of Eddy Merle Watson as a fundraiser for Wilkes Community College Endowment Corporation and a celebration of “traditional plus” music.
Broken Bow Signs Cook; Blackmon in ASCAP’s SCORES Program
/by contributorPictured (L-R): BBR’s A&R/Artist Development Tina Crawford, Magic Mustang’s Creative Director Juli Newton-Griffith, BBR CEO/President Benny Brown and Kristy Lee Cook.
Broken Bow Signs Kristy Lee Cook
Broken Bow Records announced the signing of Kristy Lee Cook to a recording and publishing deal on Broken Bow Music and Magic Mustang Music.
Singer-songwriter Cook, who appeared on the seventh season of American Idol, is also known for her work as a host for The Outdoor Channel’s Outdoor’s 10 Best and Versus’ Goin’ Country.
“Kristy Lee Cook has a natural talent and beauty that is very captivating,” says Benny Brown, Broken Bow Records’ CEO/President. “She has so much going on and is so passionate about her music, we are thrilled to sign her to our Broken Bow roster.”
“Jason Aldean is my favorite country artist,” enthuses Cook. “To be on the same label as Jason is truly a dream come true! I feel like everything has fallen into place and I am now going to get a real shot at my music career. I am so thankful and excited about my future.”
Odie Blackmon
Odie Blackmon Gives Back in ASCAP’s America SCORES Program
Grammy-nominated songwriter Odie Blackmon has enrolled in ASCAP’s Songwriter Residency at America SCORES, a national songwriting mentorship program. This program gives ASCAP writers and composers the opportunity to give back to their communities through engaging and inspiring inner-city children through songwriting and recording.
Through the program, ASCAP members collaborate with children over three sessions, co-writing a song and recording it in a professional studio. Blackmon will lead songwriting classes with kids in the St. Louis area and will record the songs at Shock City Studios. The finished song will be included on ASCAP’s compilation CD, which will be distributed to each of the schools involved in the program and to music industry decision makers.
Blackmon’s number one hits include George Strait’s “She’ll Leave You With a Smile,” Lee Ann Womack’s “I May Hate Myself In The Morning,” and Gary Allan’s “Nothing On But The Radio.” He has been honored with three ASCAP song awards, a Nashville Songwriter Association International Award, and Billboard Magazine distinguished him as #1 Hot Country Songwriter in 2005. Blackmon is a Lecturer of Music at Vanderbilt University.
“I’m very thankful to get this chance to share my passion for music with the kids in St. Louis,” Blackmon says. “I hope to plant seeds there that will grow long after I am gone.”
Music City Walk of Fame Inductees Announced
/by contributorThis eighth class of honorees will be recognized officially with the unveiling of commemorative sidewalk markers on Sunday, November 7th, at the Walk of Fame Park in downtown Nashville on Demonbreun, between 4th and 5th Avenues South. The induction ceremony, which begins at 2:00 p.m., will be sponsored by Great American Country (GAC) and is free and open to the public.
Produced with the support of Gibson Guitar, GAC, the City of Nashville and Metro Parks, The Music City Walk of Fame is an official project of Music City, Inc., the charitable foundation of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau (NCVB). “We are pleased to honor this amazing class of inductees,” said Butch Spyridon, president of the NCVB. “Each honoree represents the immense talent, creativity and diversity that have made Nashville Music City.”
The Music City Walk of Fame, located on Nashville’s Music Mile, was created in 2006 in tribute to musicians from all genres who have have preserved the musical heritage of Nashville while contributing to the world through song or other industry collaboration. After the induction of the eight class of honorees, there will be 48 total stars along the Walk of Fame.
Nominations in the categories of Artist, Musician, Songwriter, and Producer/Music Industry Executive were open to the public, and application forms were reviewed by the Music City Walk of Fame anonymous selection committee.
Sunny in California, Nichols in Indianapolis & Nail in Milwaukee
/by contributorPictured (L-R): Republic Nashville's Lois Lewis, K-FROG OM/PD Lee Douglas and Sunny Sweeney.
Republic Nashville artist Sunny Sweeney hit the California coast, celebrating her current single, “From a Table Away,” the highest charting debut single from a female artist since 2007’s Kellie Pickler.
Pictured (L-R): SDU’s Jordan Pettit, Hank Promotions Director Lisa Aigner, Joe Nichols, and Hank PD Bob Richards.
Show Dog artist Joe Nichols visited Hank FM in Indianapolis, supporting his current single, “The Shape I’m In.”
Pictured (L-R): WMIL MD J.D. Green, Nail and VP National Promotion Van Haze
MCA’s David Nail stopped in the WMIL studio in Milwaukee while on the road with Lady Antebellum.
SESAC Ups Riggle, Signs Rickman
/by MichelleGregory Riggle
Gregory Riggle has been promoted to Vice President, Industry Relations & Business Communication at SESAC. Riggle, who was formerly Associate Vice President, Broadcast Licensing, started his career with SESAC in 1986 in the Broadcast Licensing Department before serving as Vice President in the Writer/Publisher Relations Department. Riggle holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications and Recording Industry Management from Middle Tennessee State University.
“Greg Riggle has played an integral part in the growth and success of SESAC over the years,” says Pat Collins, President/COO, SESAC. “He has demonstrated the ability to grasp the long term vision of the organization and has successfully implemented strategies that have propelled SESAC’s remarkable growth. Greg is the consummate innovative executive and the ideal person to helm this multi-industry initiative to forge new relationships that will benefit our licensees and affiliated composers and music publishers. I look forward to working more closely with Greg in pursuing important new music business avenues and continuing our success into the future.”
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SESAC has signed singer/songwriter Brandon Rickman for representation. Rickman, the lead singer and guitarist of the Lonesome River Band, released a solo project titled Young Man, Old Soul last year.
Pictured (from l-r): SESAC’s Amy Beth Hale, Rickman and SESAC’s Tim Fink. Photo: Peyton Hoge